Integrated Values Surveys 1981-2022
Source data files
- EVS (2022): EVS Trend File 1981-2017. GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA7503 Data file Version 3.0.0, doi:10.4232/1.14021.
- World Values Survey Trend File (1981-2022) Cross-National Data-Set. Madrid, Spain & Vienna, Austria: JD Systems Institute & WVSA Secretariat. Version 3.0.0, doi:10.14281/18241.27.
EVS and WVS distribute the trend files through their website and retrieval systems. Thus, regular information on the source data files and documentation, errata and version history, and documentation are provided on the EVS website and the WVS website.
The new concept of the EVS and WVS trend files
A new approach has been agreed to transform the former large EVS and WVS longitudinal data files, which contained almost all variables of the EVS and WVS waves respectively, into leaner and easier-to-use files. Both EVS and WVS trend files are based on the updated Common EVS/WVS Dictionary (v.2022). It contains only those variables/questions that have been replicated by EVS and/or WVS since the early 1980s. To identify the trend variables within EVS or WVS and across both projects, two inclusion requirements were agreed:
- According to requirement 1, all variables that have been used at least twice in the EVS or twice in the WVS are included in the respective EVS or WVS trend file.
- According to requirement 2, all variables that have been used at least once in the EVS and once in the WVS are included in the respective EVS or WVS trend file.
The Common EVS/WVS Dictionary (2022) gives an overview of the EVS and WVS variables included in the Integrated Values Surveys 1981-2022 constructed after merging the EVS and WVS trend files. It informs about the correspondence of the variables to the five EVS waves and seven WVS waves as well as their compliance with the agreed inclusion requirements mentioned above.
The content of data files and the relation between them is depicted in the following table.
Composition of the IVS 1981-2022
IVS | EVS Trend File | WVS Trend File | |
---|---|---|---|
Field work period | 1981-2022 | 1981-2021 | 1981-2022 |
Number of waves | 7 | 5 | 7 |
Number of cases | 666.907 | 224.434 | 442.473 |
Number of variables | 838 | 635 | 732 |
Countries and territories | 118 | 49 | 108 |
Number of surveys | 466 | 160 | 306 |
Access to data and documentation
Building the IVS 1981-2022
(1) Download the EVS and WVS data files and documentation from the EVS/GESIS and WVS websites.
- EVS Trend File 1981-2017 (v3.0.0) (GESIS data catalog)
- WVS Trend File (1981-2022) (v4.0.0) (WVS website)
(2) Download the syntax you will find in the study description (ZA7503) under “Download/Datasets” in the format you need (SPSS or STATA) and run it to merge the two trend files and generate the IVS 1981-2022:
- EVS_WVS_Merge_Syntax_SPSS or
- EVS_WVS_Merge_Syntax_STATA.
Documentation related to the IVS 1981-2022
Suggested citation of the IVS 1981-2022
Publications based on the IVS 1981-2022 should acknowledge this by means of bibliographic citations. To ensure that such source attributions are captured for social science bibliographic utilities, citations must appear in the footnotes or in the reference section of publications. Please add citations for both files included in the IVS 1981-2022.
- EVS (2022): EVS Trend File 1981-2017. GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA7503 Data file Version 3.0.0, doi:10.4232/1.14021.
- Haerpfer, C., Inglehart, R., Moreno, A., Welzel, C., Kizilova, K., Diez-Medrano J., M. Lagos, P. Norris, E. Ponarin & B. Puranen et al. (eds.). 2022. World Values Survey Trend File (1981-2022) Cross-National Data-Set. Madrid, Spain & Vienna, Austria: JD Systems Institute & WVSA Secretariat. Data file Version 4.0.0, doi:10.14281/18241.27.
Please send your bibliographic citation based on the IVS 1981-2022 at